Oh That Smell!
by suzie2b
Summary: Tully has a bad day.
**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Oh That Smell!**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **Charley heard a bloodcurdling yell from the bathroom down the hall. She ran from the apartment thinking that Tully must have somehow fallen or slit his throat while shaving. As she flung open the door a strong odor hit her in the face. She coughed and took several steps back while covering her nose with her hand. "What did you do? Usually a dab behind each ear is enough!"**

 **Tully looked at her dejectedly. "I was reaching for the towel and knocked your perfume off the shelf. It spilled down the front of me."**

 **Charley couldn't help but giggle. "I didn't get a chance to pick up the laundry yesterday. That was your last clean shirt."**

 **Tully looked panic stricken. "Not funny! I can't go out smelling like a … a … gardenia!"**

" **Sorry, love, but you smell like the whole garden." Charley took pity on him and said, "Take the shirt off and just wear your jacket. You'll be fine."**

 **Tully unbuttoned his shirt as they walked back to the apartment. He handed her the shirt and grabbed his jacket. He looked at his watch and picked up his helmet. "I'm gonna be late. Sarge is going to kill me." Looking at his wife, he smiled slightly. "It smells better on you." Then he kissed her, "Love you." Then headed out the door.**

" **Love you too. Be careful." Charley held the shirt, floral perfume wafting up into her face. She could even taste it and hoped a good soaking in baking soda would help.**

 **###############################**

 **Tully ran all the way to the motor pool, not noticing the looks he was getting from the people he passed. When he finally stopped at the jeeps, his three comrades were waiting.**

 **Troy looked from his watch to the private. "You're late, Pettigrew."**

" **Sorry, sarge. Had a slight accident just before I left."**

 **Hitch caught a whiff of perfume and chuckled. "Just what kind of accident did you have?"**

 **Tully suddenly caught the odor himself and sighed. "I accidently spilled Charley's perfume down the front of my shirt. Guess it got on my skin too."**

 **Moffitt grinned. "Good thing we're in jeeps. I wouldn't want to be in an enclosed vehicle with you."**

 **Troy shook his head and said, "Let's shake it."**

 **They drove out into the desert to do a recon of a newly American won sector. Close to noon, as they crested a dune, they saw a Bedouin camp. They recognized the family and decided to stop for a quick visit.**

 **Antwan and Fatima, along with their six children, greeted the four soldiers with open arms. While Troy and Moffitt talked to Antwan about whether or not they'd seen any Germans in the past few weeks, Hitch played with the younger children. As much as Tully wanted to join his friend, he decided it might be best to hang back. He didn't want to offend anyone with his "body odor."**

 **As Tully wandered around the small camp, he passed close to several hobbled camels. He stopped and looked out across the desert and suddenly felt something hit him in the back. Tully spun around just in time to get hit in the shoulder with a second wad of camel spit, which splattered in his face. He stared at the animals as he was assaulted by the new smell that know emanated from him.**

 **Tully was wiping his face with his sleeves as he quickly walked away before the third camel had a chance to take aim. As he hurried around the tent, he ran into Hitch … literally.**

 **Hitch pushed him away and covered his nose and mouth with the collar of his shirt. "What the heck is with you today, Tully?"**

" **Those damn camels spit on me!"**

 **Hitch laughed. "It must have been the perfume. Well, at least you don't smell like a brothel anymore."**

 **Tully didn't know if he wanted to be mad or cry. He decided to just sigh and go over to wait in the jeep.**

 **When Moffitt joined him, he looked at his driver and wrinkled his nose with displeasure. "That's a different smell for you."**

 **Tully didn't look at him. "Camel spit."**

" **I think I liked the other better."**

 **When they stopped for lunch, Tully was relegated to sit alone on guard duty as far away from the others as possible.**

 **###############################**

 **Antwan had explained that a group of ten Germans, with their vehicles, had arrived a few days before in the small bombed out village where he and his family had been staying, which is why they left. He was able to show Troy and Moffitt where the village was located on the map.**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully went to the village to check it out. They hid the jeeps before going through the abandoned and ruined buildings until they caught sight of two German halftracks and one tank. Troy signaled Moffitt and Tully to circle around to the other side. He and Hitch would stay on course from where they were.**

 **As Moffitt and Tully approached, they could hear voices in the building next to where the vehicles were parked. They stopped under a window and dared to carefully peer through the broken glass. It wasn't long before the German soldiers were wrinkling their noses and one said, "Was ist das für ein Geruch?"**

 **Moffitt and Tully ducked down as the Germans began to look around. Having heard what was said, Moffitt looked at Tully and decided it would be prudent to retreat to cover.**

 **When they were in a safe position, Tully whispered, "What's going on?"**

 **Moffitt replied, "I'm afraid, Tully, they could smell you. It might be best if you head back to the jeeps and wait."**

 **Tully frowned, but nodded and started back the way they'd come. He was just about out of the village when a German sentry rounded a corner and said, "Legen Sie Ihre Hände in die Luft."**

 **Tully set his machine gun aside and turned to face the guard. He heard him sniff a couple of times and wrinkle his nose. "Yeah, yeah. I know."**

 **Then grenades exploded and the sound of machine gun fire filled the air. Tully took advantage of the distracted guard and tackled him, sending his rifle flying out of his hands. The two of them rolled and struggled on the ground before there was a cracking sound beneath them. Suddenly they fell through and hit the bottom with a splash. They got their feet under them and continued to struggle until Tully finally managed to drown the German.**

 **Tully listened to the silence above and wondered if his friends were all right. Then wondered how he was going to get out of the hole he was in.**

 **A few minutes passed before Tully heard voices coming his way. He began to yell for help and before long he saw Hitch's face above him. He covered his nose and mouth with his shirt collar again and said, "Tully? What are you doing down there?"**

" **Oh, since I had nothing better to do I thought I'd go for a swim in this here cesspool!" Tully saw Troy and Moffitt look down at him, their faces also covered. "Will someone, please, get me outta here?"**

 **Hitch ran to get a rope from the jeep. Troy and Moffitt saw the German's body floating face down next to Tully and Troy asked, "Are you okay?"**

 **Tully looked up at them. "Great! Just great!"**

 **###############################**

 **Charley was in the closet putting away the clean clothes she'd picked up from Salma. She heard the door open and slam shut rather forcefully. She walked out and was hit in the face for a second time that day by an overwhelming smell. All she could do was grab the closest piece of clothing to cover her nose and mouth with.**

 **Tully stood just inside the apartment covered from head to toe with excrement. "I've had a bad day."**

 **Charley rushed to the door and opened it. "Out! Get undress in the hall and get into the shower!" She watched as he walked to the bathroom and took his clothes off before going in. Then she gathered the soiled clothing and boots in a blanket, went to the top of the stairs, and dropped the bundle to the ground below. She figured they would have to be burned.**

 **Charley went back into the apartment to get clean clothes and a towel. She knocked as she entered the bathroom. "I didn't mean to be so harsh. Are you okay?"**

 **As he scrubbed himself, Tully said, "Yeah, I'm fine."**

" **Care to tell me about your day?"**

" **Well, it started with your perfume. The guys harassed me all morning about the smell. Then, we stopped to have a talk with a Bedouin family we know and two of their camels spit on me … probably because of the perfume."**

 **Charley wrinkled her nose. She knew what camel spit smelled like and it wasn't a nice smell at all. "Ewww."**

" **Yeah, tell me about it." Tully started to scrub his hair. "Then we went to check out a village where the Bedouin said we'd find a German patrol. Long story short, Moffitt ended up sending me back to wait at the jeeps because the Germans could smell me coming. Then I ran into a sentry and ended up in a hand-to-hand with him and falling into a cesspool. Moffitt wouldn't even ride with me coming back to base and Hitch made sure I stayed behind his jeep."**

 **Tully rinsed off and opened the shower curtain. Charley smiled and handed him a towel. "Yep, I'd say you've had a bad day."**

 **After he dried off, Tully took her in his arms and gave her a kiss. "Before I get dressed, maybe we could…"**

 **Charley smiled up at him. "Normally, I would love to. But as soon as you're dressed we're going to medical."**

" **Medical? What for?"**

" **Think about it, love. You fell into an old cesspool. Who knows what germs and things were in there? You may have swallowed a bit of it too. I really don't want you to get sick."**

 **Tully thought about it and felt his stomach churn.**

 **###############################**

 **Tully gave the doctor on duty the short version of what had happened. He was given a healthy dose of penicillin and another shot for dysentery. The doctor gave him a bottle of penicillin in pill form to take for two weeks.**

 **As they walked out of the hospital building, Charley asked, "Feel like eating?"**

 **Tully nodded. "Yeah, I could eat."**

 **Charley looked at his slightly downtrodden face. "You sure you're okay?"**

 **Tully smiled. "Just tired. I don't remember** _ **ever**_ **having a day like today."**

 **Charley hugged him as they walked. "Well, after dinner, we'll go home and relax together all evening."**

" **Sounds like a plan. At least my day is ending a lot better than it started."**


End file.
